INTRODUCTION

This page intends to be a hub for guides and tutorials that help those who is interested in architectural visualization using Unity.

KEY AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE FOR ARCHITECTURAL VISUALIZATION

The most common tool used for architectural visualization is game engine, which is software used to create video games. There have been many game engines for indie developers. The two most popular game engines are Unity and Unreal. Here we focus only on Unity, which is more friendly to new users and as powerful as Unreal, if not more powerful.

• Unity interface and component: need to understand the structure and rationale of different parts of unity interface. Ask yourself these questions: what is the difference between hierarchy and project panel? What is the relationship between scene and hierarchy? How do you access the asset store? How do you access the lighting panel?
• Material editing: understand how PBR material works; understand how to tweak the materials on objects; understand the relationship between materials and their host objects.
• Lighting: know what is Global Illumination (GI); understand the difference and trade off between baked lighting and precomputed real-time GI; understand what UV is.
• Performance Optimization: know how to use Occlusion Culling and batching; understand draw call; understand the impact of material and lighting on draw call.
• Collision and Avatar: know different types of collision and their impact on performance; know types of avatar (character controller) and the common parameters of the avatar.
• Interaction design: Either know a scripting languate(C#, javascript, Boo), or know how to use visual scripting plugins(playermaker, etc)

RESOURCES ON EACH AREA OF KNOWLEDGE

Unity Interface and Component:

Material Editing:

• Read this section and its subsection: http://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/Shaders.html
• Beginner's guide to Physically Based Rendering(PBR): http://blog.teamtreehouse.com/beginners-guide-physically-based-rendering-unity
• Unity's tutorial on standard shader: https://unity3d.com/learn/tutorials/modules/beginner/5-tutorials/standard-shader
• Importance reference: PBR calibration chart: http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/official-5-0-pbr-calibration-charts.289416/
• Try out shader calibration scene: https://www.assetstore.unity3d.com/en/#!/content/25422

Lighting:

• Unity's lighting tutorial: https://unity3d.com/learn/tutorials/modules/beginner/unity-5/unity5-lighting-overview
• Lights in Unity:

http://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/Lighting.html
https://unity3d.com/learn/tutorials/modules/beginner/graphics/lights

• Read the entire lighting section, especially pay attention to the global illumination part: http://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/LightingOverview.html
• A very good video tutorial on GI and day night cycle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5GFoI38DOg
• Understand global illumination: http://blogs.unity3d.com/2014/09/18/global-illumination-in-unity-5/

Performance and Optimization: